Rochester, Minnesota nursing home neglect causes resident’s death

Neglect led to a nursing home patient in Rochester, Minnesota who “fell, broke her neck and died,” while being transferred from her bed to her wheelchair, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. She was 95.

Maple Manor Healthcare and Rehab was cited in April for neglect in the death. The patient fell between three and four feet from her EZ lift, according to the Rochester Post Bulletin.

Investigators detailed the gruesome account.

“The rubber safety catch on the mechanical lift failed to secure the harness in place and the resident fell out of the harness sideways during transfer,” the investigators wrote.

Investigators cited neglect after Maple Manor failed to provide records of lift inspectors, maintenance or prior incidents to the Department of Health, which found that safety catch problems had been occurring at the facility for six to nine months before the fatal fall, the Post Bulletin reported.

The nursing home admitted to continuously trying to fix EZ lift machines with grommets, which proved defective, instead of metal retrofit, the Post Bulletin reported.

Maple Manor is responsible for about 40 people that depend on EZ lifts. The lifts are used about 60,000 times per year, according to the report.

The tragedy continued after the woman fell and struck her head on the floor. In addition to breaking her neck, she also fractured her spine. She “returned to the facility from the hospital with four staples in the back of her head,” investigators wrote. She died three days later.

The Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm represents clients in cases involving catastrophic injury caused by nursing homes and other care facilities that fail to provide proper care. If you believe your loved one has been harmed due neglect or abuse in a nursing home, take action and contact the Kosieradzki • Smith Law Firm online or call us toll-free at (877) 552-2873 to set up a no-cost, no-obligation consultation.